What is the difference?

When I first started teaching science I had no teaching education. I came out of college with a BS in Applied Biology and a minor in Physics and Chemistry. I later went on to get my masters and take extra courses in engineering teaching. I still struggle with the vast difference in the methods of teaching in CTE versus traditional science. I mean they are similar in nature. I look at it like this...Physics is applied math and Engineering is applied Physics. How do we balance our teaching to include enough content as required by the state and yet encouraging critical thinking through design based projects?